A Protest on Religious Discrimination and Human Rights Violation

Press Release-
updated: Mar 27, 2018

SAN JOSE, Calif.,
March 27, 2018 (Newswire.com) -
A 25-year-old woman was found dead at a lodging in Hwasun, South Korea; a victim of a coercive conversion program. CheonJi-News reported the confirmed investigation from the Hwasung police stating the autopsy showing the possibility of suffocation and a high possibility of cardiopulmonary arrest due to oxygen deprivation. After this incident, protesting to bring awareness of Human rights violation and discrimination of religious freedom took place and petitioning for the protection of religious freedom protected by the Constitution of South Korea, Article 20 started.

Sunday, January 28, Cheonji-News reported 140,000 people attending a protest in Seoul speaking against Coercive Conversion Education. The purpose of the demonstrations is to bring awareness of the situation and to petition for a legal framework criminalizing religion-based violence. According to the Korean Civil Society NGO, Human Rights Association for Forced Conversion (HAC), Coercive Conversion Education was performed on more than 1,000 individuals, by a group of Korean pastors. Organizations such as the Association of Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs (AVCCP) have reached out to international human rights groups to spread awareness. Through the petition, all branches of the HAC within many countries have gone out nationwide spreading awareness to citizens, organizations, and media as well as to the United Nations.

After the January 28 event, a Ban on the coercive conversion education has become a viral sensation, continuing to spread across the world and Human rights organizations across the nation are coming together with other organizations and groups from multiple countries, such as, the Philippines, Germany, Japan, Australia, Uganda, Kenya, Netherlands, France, Malaysia, China, and United States. Washington DC, New York City, and California all led a demonstration and the newly establish HAC of San Francisco and San Jose took part in this growing movement by practicing their rights of Freedom of Speech bringing awareness of the Forced Conversion of Religion and Human rights Violation at the San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge. Since the effect of the discrimination and the practice of the Coercive Conversion is becoming more revealed, how can we allow this to continue and to be ignored? That is why the solidarity displayed through these events will be heard all over the world.